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Airpush Responds to User’s Concerns

There’s been quite a response in the blogosphere regarding one of Android’s newest advertising models. It would seem that end users have voiced strong opinions regarding the placement of advertisements in the notifications panel of their Android phone.

Android has just surpassed iOS in terms of the number of total free apps available. Android users are known as a rather frugal bunch, and this presents a challenge for developers looking to fund their hard work, and to provide incentive for them to create high quality apps and games that end users love and enjoy all around the world.

Here’s the communication we were forwarded by Asher Delug, Airpush’s CEO:

A few weeks ago Airpush launched as the world’s first mobile ad network based on push notifications. In that short period, we have had over 5,000 Android developers join the platform and developer satisfaction has been overwhelming.

Over the past few days it has become evident that, despite satisfaction amongst our developers, some end-users have expressed concern about receiving push notification ads without their prior consent. To date, we have provided developers with a Permissions API to implement custom opt-in / opt-out procedures, but we have not made it mandatory.

In response to this feedback, we are modifying our SDK to require opt-in from all users prior to delivering push notification ads. The opt-in will appear as a dialog box upon initial launch of the app, and developers will no longer be able to build their own opt-in. This change will be complete next week.

We regret that we didn’t launch Airpush with this developer requirement, but we recognize the need to respond swiftly to feedback from the Android community. We believe this change will address the concerns of users who don’t want push notification ads.

We are, after all, an Android News site, and have no stake in the matter. We just report and comment on the developments of Android, everyday. While we understand the concerns of end users, we think that having an ad in the notification bar is still preferable to having it in-app or in-game. With this latest opt in, we believe users will be given the choice to choose for themselves. Choice, as we all know, is always the best thing to have.

Either way, the stakes are high, and for Airpush to be making such a fundamental change to their model means that they are listening, that they are sensitive to the concerns of app users and developers alike, and that they are a proactive company.

Darcy is the editor in chief at Android Authority. He follows the latest trends and is extremely passionate about mobile technology. With a keen eye for spotting emerging trends and reporting them, he works hard to bring you the best analysis, updates, and reports on all things Android. Darcy lives and breathes the latest mobile technology, and believes Android will be on a billion devices in the not too distant future.